Among the squad on the ice was winger Brad Marchand, who then had a phone hearing with NHL disciplinarian Brendan Shanahan about a potential fine or suspension for the clip on Vancouver’s Sami Salo Saturday.

General manager Peter Chiarelli was also scheduled to be on the call. Before the hearing, the GM felt compelled to respond to several comments from the Vancouver camp accusing Marchand of being a dirty player and promising that the Boston winger will “get his.” Canucks GM Mike Gillis and head coach Alain Vigneault were the most vocal in their criticisms of Marchand and the Bruins.

“Again, I look at the hit. I certainly don’t think it was clipping,” said Chiarelli about Marchand’s play, which earned a five-minute major and a game misconduct. “He hit him in the rear, if you really look at it closely. But if they think that it is [clipping] and they hand something down, fine. We’ll accept it. Again, I think they do a good job at it. There’s a lot of discussion amongst our group when they hand out these things. But the lobbying – I call it propaganda – that comes out yesterday in advance of the hearing, I think it’s distasteful. I’m friends with Mike and I’m friends with Alain, but I don’t like the way that it comes out. And I have to respond.”

Your right, Boychuk is the textbook definition on how to give a hip check. The good thing is that he has put the hurt on number of players, legally. I thought his and Sidenberg’s physical play were a major factor in bringing the Cup back to Boston.

Cormac – I was commenting on how some players are using that move in an aggressive manner. In the Ballard and Raymond clips I see a player skating toward another in a straight line – that scares me. I’ve seen Marchand use it 3 times that I can think of, and this one against Salo was the most aggressive of the lot – and even then, I still think its more defensive.

Anyway.. I’m sick of it. Actually, I think the real crime of the game occurred in the Melee, but one’s discussing that issue, nor the Refs mishandling of the whole thing.

Well Cormac – the hip check is one of the prettiest plays in the game when done right – Hello Mr. Boychuk – and when it’s done right it’s done while skating in a defensive posture. Since Marchand’s flip of Salo I spent a little time checking out video of similar hits (The Canucks are perhaps the biggest culprit) and I’d be in favor of them eliminating the check that Raymond used on Marchand in that side by side, or this one that Ballard used in last year’s playoffs. This is just scary:

Great clip! I guess the one thing is that Shanahan was not in the position he is today.

CJ and PC have been good throughout the fallout regarding the game. Alain V. should not call CJ stupid. CJ outcoached him during the Stanley Cup finals, besides telling his players to cut out the taunting of Burrows. Marchand’s suspension is harsh, but we won’t whine about it. That tendency belongs the Vancouver Canucks, management, player personal, and fan base all included.

Agree – 5 games is a harsh decision… I guess I shouldn’t be surprised that nothing will ever be made of the Burrows incident. I guess the NHL is fine with players threatening one another by thrusting the stick towards one’s face.

I’ll agree with marchand as long as barrows or burrows gets the same for sticking the toe of his stick in thorntons face which in that situation could be a lethal weapon or loss of an eye. Marchand situation was during the flow of action barrows was blatant during a line change so go after marchand go after them as well.

I don’t think Marchand clipped him. Clipping is hitting at the knees. Marchand hit around his bum if you look at the replay. Hamhuis made a similar hit on Lucic in Game 1 last year, but unlike the whiny Canucks we don’t complain.

I think Marchand deceives a suspension, he clipped a player and injured him. He’s incredibly gifted but just won’t cut out the BS. Worst of all he pretty much garunteed a loss. The Canucks are no better, because they have players that have made similar hits.

Cheers to Chia and CJ. I almost never hear that Chia responds in the media (unlike certain GMs who seem to make statements all the time).

Also, I love CJ’s comments about them being hypocritical and how the Canucks are the smartest team in the league and everyone else are idots. Almost fell off my chair I laughed so hard. I don’t usually hear CJ talking about other teams, he tends to focus on the Bs (mistakes and successes). But this statement was pure gold.

All good points Gibbz. Terry, I would love a rematch! All they are is whining little babies about this. Like Gibbz said, we didn’t have our top guys out for Raymond after his hit trying to swing a suspension out of it. The one big thing to take out of all of this, you beat them in one place, the scoreboard(The Cup). Then they can waste all the breath they want on complaining, they won’t have the prize. But I do love watching them beat the pulp out of them on the ice to… They have totally stole the reins of the Habs hatred.

I have to agree with Peter here. And, what’s mind-boggling is that Mike Gillis and Alain Vigneault are okay with complaining about this hit – when last year (in Game 5 of the Stanley Cup Finals) their own Mason Raymond threw the EXACT same hit on Brad Marchand. The only difference in the two his is that Marchand didn’t land on his shoulder and sustain a “concussion”.

I won’t dispute that Brad Marchand is a pest – he is, after-all, known as a ‘brat’ – but I find it interesting to hear the Canucks complain about Marchand and the “Big, Bad Bruins”. Isn’t this the same organization that over the past 4 or 5 years under Gillis’ rein has employed guys like Rick Rypien, Matt Cooke, Rafi Torres, Maxim Lapierre and Alex Burrows?